Emilia Clarke feared being fired from 'Game of Thrones' after suffering a brain haemorrhage.
The 37-year-old actress suffered a bleed on the brain when working out in 2011 and while she returned to work shortly afterwards, she was terrified she'd be axed from the fantasy drama series, in which she played Daenerys Targaryen, because she thought bosses would no longer think she was "capable".
She told Big Issue magazine: “When you have a brain injury, because it alters your sense of self on such a dramatic level, all of the insecurities you have going into the workplace quadruple overnight.
"The first fear we all had was: ‘Oh my God, am I going to get fired? Am I going to get fired because they think I’m not capable of completing the job?’”
And Emilia - who suffered a second brain haemorrhage two years later - feared she'd die from another bleed because of the stress and pressure she was under.
She recalled thinking: “Well, if I’m going to die, I better die on live TV.”
The 'Me Before You' actress felt "profoundly alone" in the aftermath of her medical episodes, prompting her and her mother to establish the SameYou charity in2 019 to develop better mental health recovery for those who suffer brain injuries and advocate for change.
She said: “Having a chronic condition that diminishes your confidence in this one thing you feel is your reason to live is so debilitating and so lonely.
“One of the biggest things I felt with a brain injury was profoundly alone. That is what we’re trying to overcome.”
Emilia felt she "couldn't carry on" after her brain injury and feared she'd never act again, but she's ultimately thrived.
She noted: “It has given me a superpower.”
